Fumed metal oxides are very efficient pre-coat additives for ink adsorption on a variety of substrates.
We offer a wide range of CAB-O-SIL® fumed silica, SpectrAl® fumed alumina and CAB-O-SPERSE® aqueous dispersions that can be used in ink receptive coatings. The CAB-O-SPERSE dispersions are dispersant free, electrostatically stabilized and available over a range of pH, metal oxide particle size and solids weight percentage.
Inkjet printing has quickly emerged as a leading print technology for many imaging applications. Being digital, it is designed to reduce set-up time and be more customizable. Furthermore, the water-based inkjet formulation is safer to handle compared to solvent or UV based inkjet inks, making it an ideal solution for paper or plastics food packaging and photographic images.
An inkjet receptive coating layer sits on top of a substrate that is either non-permeable or too porous to be printed with an inkjet. The coating controls the spread of ink droplet, while absorbing its carrier fluid. It reduces the amount of ink needed to achieve the desired optical density and as a result improves the print image ink dry time.
Ink receptive coatings deliver blacker blacks, more vibrant colors, rub/mar resistance, optimal adhesion, and formulation flexibility. These type of coatings are specially designed for films, textiles and paper. They work well on banners, packaging, textiles, wallpapers, banners, labels, foils, etc. They can be applied by a variety of methods: rod coating, gravure/roll, knife coating, curtain coating, slot-die coating, even spray coating.
We offer a range of CAB-O-SIL® fumed silica and SpectrAl® fumed alumina performance additives that can be used in inkjet media applications. These additives achieve high absorptive capacity very efficiently, enabling excellent image quality and gloss. We are continually adding new products to better address this application’s specific needs.
CAB-O-SIL® MS-55LV fumed silica is our newest product for the ink receptive coatings application. Compared to our standard CAB-O-SIL® MS-55 fumed silica, this product forms lower viscosity dispersions enabling higher loadings of silica resulting in a more efficient ink receptive formulation. We also offer sample formulations to support industry partners achieve differentiated performance through inkjet receptive coatings for water-based inks.
Download Application GuideCAB-O-SPERSE® aqueous dispersions reduce formulation processing time by providing fumed silica or fumed alumina in an easy-to-use, water-based system. The dispersions are dispersant-free, electrostatically stabilized and available over a range of pH, metal oxide particle size and solids weight percent.
Download BrochureA selection of dispersions are also suitable for use in some food contact applications. We can work with supply-chain partners to develop primer systems for a particular substrate, ink and print system. This technical Article originally appeared in PCI Magazine on March 17, 2022
Read ArticleCAB-O-SPERSE® Dispersions for Ink Receptive Coatings on Nonporous Substrates
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